BOSTON -- Displaced as a starting infielder by the hot-hitting Jose Iglesias, Will Middlebrooks has been sent to Triple-A Pawtucket.

BOSTON -- Displaced as a starting infielder by the hot-hitting Jose Iglesias, Will Middlebrooks has been sent to Triple-A Pawtucket.

"This became about Will getting regular at-bats," Boston manager John Farrell said. "He's an important part of us today as much as he is going forward. For him to get back on track, to make an impact with us, he needs everyday at-bats. That's where he's headed right now."

After a promising rookie season in which he hit .288 with a .325 on-base percentage as well as 15 home runs in fewer than 300 plate appearances, Middlebrooks was hitting .192 with a .228 on-base percentage when it became clear Farrell couldn't justify playing him ahead either of Iglesias or shortstop Stephen Drew.

The mission for Middlebrooks now will be to get back whatever it is that he's lost.

"His skills haven't gone backwards," Farrell said. "He's still a very talented player. The consistent work will allow him to reproduce the swing he showed last year and showed through the course of spring training, recognizing that this year there were some struggles for him. But this isn't uncommon for a young player, and to take a step back now for the bigger picture, he's finding his way to becoming a major-league player. Part of that sometimes takes a step back, and this is exactly what's taken place."

To replace Middlebrooks on the Red Sox roster, corner infielder Brandon Snyder was called up from Triple-A Pawtucket. Snyder has seen time in the major leagues with Baltimore and Texas, and he's hitting .267 with a .338 on-base percentage and .470 slugging percentage with the PawSox this season.

David Ross was transferred to the 60-day disabled list to make room for Snyder on the 40-man roster. Ross has suffered two concussions this season and has been sent home to Florida until his next appointment with a concussion specialist on July 9.